FI Charts ( T120+ onwards) Winter 2023/2024 **READ MOD NOTE IN FIRST

Today and past few days have been OK to great in Sligo. Granted there's been rainfall every day but now it's tough to get 24 dry hours in the West. I'd say the whole Winter we might have had 10 dry days and that might be since November. I hope its El Nino driven or I'm emigrating. Ya can't live in this when it's flooded constantly and dark too. That's why today is so nice. Blue skies and warm sun between the inevitable rain bands.

Anyways 100mm forecast between now and February 29th so time to batten down the hatches and hide. You will see snow falling at the end of the week landing in flooded puddles. That's what Polar Maritime brings to these shores.

After the very mild February it wouldn't surprise me if this is the direction of travel during March

I agree. It’s probably odds on we’ll get some sort of an easterly in March. If we could even get a repeat of the “son of the beast” around St Patrick’s Day 2018 I’d take it. As long it’s snow falling and not cold rain.

I’d normally say no too however I have yet to see a single snow flake fall this winter so I’d take a bit of snow in March.

Snow in April? A definite no no though.

Oh it's true, it's damn true , Eibhir. We waited all winter for a proper blocking high and sure enough we will likely get one in March .

don’t forget the very cold March 2013 and followed by some very severe frosts in early April too.

Two ice days at the start of March 2018, and of all places to record them, Cork!

And another on the 18th of March (a notable late in the year contender):

Yeah March 2018 is the only time March has recorded ice day conditions in digitised records in Ireland back to 1942. There is no other examples at Irish stations in that time and probably even going further back. The combination of cloud cover, an extremely cold airmass (among the coldest ever recorded over Ireland) and such a strong easterly flow with lying snow is what allowed these unprecedented ice day conditions for the time of year.

Limerick also had an ice day on 18th March 2018 (just barely with -0.1C). Crazy late.

11th March 2013 had a very cold airmass but the easterly flow wasn't as strong and it was bright at times so the very cold 850s weren't as realised on the surface. Still though, Mount Russell in Limerick had a max of just 0.8C that day which is exceptional for the time of year.